Midnight special

Last night Marvin made me watch episodes of The Midnight Special from 1978. Does anyone remember The Midnight Special? Does anyone remember 1978?

The Midnight Special, and I am getting really annoyed that I have to keep going back and italicizing, was a TV show that was on really late at night, like maybe midnight, and it had popular bands of the day, or rather the night, because it was on really late at night, see. Bah.

They played live, the bands, which was nice. The show was hosted by stupid Wolfman Jack, who was not a real wolfman, like Jacob in Twilight, but rather a radio DJ who had an affected radio DJ voice that was probably fine when he was introducing a record, but once he had to speak in several paragraphs to introduce or speak to a band? You just wanted to say KNOCK IT OFF WITH THE DJ VOICE, ALREADY.

Also, Wolfman Jack? No one can pull off the Barry Gibb hairdo except Barry Gibb.

If I am not mistaken, Wolfman Jack is still a radio DJ, and he still has that hair.

So we watched various episodes from 1978, and the first thing that depressed me is my new haircut? Exactly like the lead singer from Ambrosia's.

See the guy on the left? No, that is not me when I don't Nair. And look at the dude on the right thinking he's cool. You're in AMBROSIA. Get over yourself. You're the biggest part of yourself.

Then also, here's what Marvin does whenever we watch any old band. He'll say, "See the bass player? Dead. Sickle-cell anemia." Which is what he said about the guy from Chic.

He knows everyone who's dead and what they died of. And I don't know if you've noticed the part where I am slightly hypochondriacal. Do I need this information? Do I need to worry that I'm coming down with sickle-cell anemia? I totally see a sickle forming on my arm right now.

Plus also too, we watched The Cars, and I personally am fascinated by the not-prettyness that is Ric Ocasek. What fascinates me is that he got Paulina Porizkova, who by the way I refuse to call a supermodel. Have you noticed we cannot just call anyone a model anymore? Everyone is a supermodel and the word has become meaningless. Anyway I have always liked Paulina Porizkova, and what fascinates me is that she said the first time she ever saw ridiculous Ric Ocasek her first thought was, "Who is that beautiful man?"

She was a really successful model when she met him. It's not like she needed the dough. And they've been married forever. There is a lid for every pot.

Anyway, for the first time in my life I noticed this other guy in The Cars last night. There was this other guy singing and he was WAY CUTE. Why didn't Paulina ever notice THIS guy?

Apparently he was the singer of a lot of the songs, and everyone just thinks Ric Ocasek sang all of them. Anyway, you know what Marvin said?

"Dead. Pancreatic cancer."

Sigh.

So that was my evening. I kind of miss 1978, when all we had to do was freak out. And not about our impending sickle-cell anemia.

91 thoughts on “Midnight special”

Okay, I didn’t know who Rick Ocasek or The Cars was (gasp!) so I looked him up on Wikipedia. Can you believe he and the faux-supermodel have been married for 20 years?! And that she was 19 and he was 34 when they first met? Insane.
Oh, and I realized that I do know the Cars – one of their albums is in Rock Band.

I graduated from high school in 1978, too.
“We’re the fine!
We’re the great!
We’re the class of ’78!”
So, yeah, I watched Midnight Special. And, like Marvin, I have the annoying habit of always commenting on dead rock stars and the causes of their demise.
Sorry.

I graduated from high school in 1978, too.
“We’re the fine!
We’re the great!
We’re the class of ’78!”
So, yeah, I watched Midnight Special. And, like Marvin, I have the annoying habit of always commenting on dead rock stars and the causes of their demise.
Sorry.

I graduated from high school in 1978, too.
“We’re the fine!
We’re the great!
We’re the class of ’78!”
So, yeah, I watched Midnight Special. And, like Marvin, I have the annoying habit of always commenting on dead rock stars and the causes of their demise.
Sorry.

I had Famolares and Candies. Anyone remember Dittos jeans? I had a yellow pair and a turquoise pair. They really made a butt look great. I never stayed up long enough to see the Midnight Special. I conked out by 10:00, because I was such a party animal that way.

No one’s going to read this, because it’s too way late at night., I am only here, because my freakin’ endless, endless company just went to bed, but I have to say, Gladys I love you. You don’t show up enough.
And Jenene and Brenda, were you sent over here by Carin?

So the dude on the right who is getting all up close and personal is, indeed, a dude? Because for a moment, I couldn’t tell. I guess that’s 1978 for ya.
Actually, I have no freaking clue about 1978. I was very very very unborn then. My parents weren’t married yet. They weren’t even DATING yet.

I wasn’t going to say this but after all the SENIORS of ’78 out there I had to. I was in 2nd grade.
Now, moving on. I do not remember Ambrosia (remember? 2nd grade) but I agree with Furry Godmother. I am very disturbed that they though this pose was cool or hip or whatever word you seniors used in ’78. Ew.

So much to say. First of all, OMG, The Midnight Special. Where I lived, it came on after Saturday Night Live. I fell in love with a very homoerotic Rod Stewart singing “The Killing of Georgie” on The Midnight Special.” Get Marvin to check, because I am pretty sure ole’ Wolfman is dead. Marvin would probably know how.
Secondly, I was DYING in the store earlier because I did not have your phone number and there was a Chi hair straightener on sale and I could not remember if you decided Chi was worth it or not worth it?
And, lastly, I wholeheartedly agree with the stance of supermodels. You, me and Fred Norris, we should start a revolt.

Wasn’t ambrosia the only food that the gods on Mt. Olympus could eat? Do you think they had miniature marshmallows back then?
Oh, the Seventies! Back when I wore pantyhose under my Calvin Klein jeans, with my feathered bangs and my Candies mules. Don’t they still make those? The Candies, I mean.

Wasn’t ambrosia the only food that the gods on Mt. Olympus could eat? Do you think they had miniature marshmallows back then?
Oh, the Seventies! Back when I wore pantyhose under my Calvin Klein jeans, with my feathered bangs and my Candies mules. Don’t they still make those? The Candies, I mean.

Wasn’t ambrosia the only food that the gods on Mt. Olympus could eat? Do you think they had miniature marshmallows back then?
Oh, the Seventies! Back when I wore pantyhose under my Calvin Klein jeans, with my feathered bangs and my Candies mules. Don’t they still make those? The Candies, I mean.

Delurking here to let you know that I am now listening to “How Much I Feel” by Ambrosia. I luuuurve that song and all its sappy goodness! And Wolfman struck me as a child molester even when I was a kid watching him on Midnight Special. That’s a mean thing to say about a dead man, but there it is. “That’s how much I feeeeel, Feel for you baby. How much I neeeeed, I need your touch….”

I love love love love love love loved Candies and I had about 90 pair. Was totally not allowed to have any, per my mother, so in the summer when I went to visit my father I asked for some and came home with every color. Oh, divorce. What a lovely way of getting things.

There is a lid for every pot. I’ve always loved that phrase. Another addition to my June one-liners collection, which is starting to outnumber Marvin’s band DVD collection.
Hulk: YES! Paulina TOTALLY = Natasha.
Joann: laughing.my.ass.off. Carin’s curse! bwwaahahhaa!! If we weren’t so ding dang funny we’d be a cyber-bully gang.

Hellooo, everyone is missing the obvious. Carin has put a spell over the blog, thus all the typos.
“You’re The Biggest Part of Me” brings back sweet memories, boyfriend-of-the-moment memories. Yeah, I was in high school, 10th grade, with my bad self and my Candies and my feathered hair. Gosh, I loved my neck back then. It didn’t jiggle.
And along with my neck, I LOVED the Midnight Special.
I think those models have a strange perception of beauty. Heidi Klum said Seal is the most strikingly beautiful man she’s ever seen.
Now I love men. I’m like man-crazy and I can find the handsome in just about any man, but Seal? No. He kind of looks like an alien. And I ‘m not even talking about his scars. I don’t care about that. He’s just got the ugly.

I was 6 in 1978 but I can tell you that I was sure that Donnie and Marie were all that was good in music. I loved them. And Barbara Mandrell. Although I had no idea what I was singing about when I sang, “You can eat crackers in my bed anytime, baby.” And never once did Mom stop me. Maybe that is what is wrong with me. 70s lyrics.

Wolfman Jack totally looks like the wolf-boy from The Munsters, all grown up.
If he actually WAS the wolf-boy from The Munsters all grown up, then ignore that remark. I’m too young to know who Wolfman Jack is (though I do know The Munsters, go figure).

I watched the Midnight Special. That was the thing to do when you had a bunch of girls over for a slumber party; stay up late, watch t.v., and snack!
In my house we started noticing that every. single. time. we bring up some old rocker dude my daughter would say, “Didn’t he die of a heroin overdose?” Every. single. person. sigh.
And you know what? About half the time she was right!
r.i.p. Wolfman. Anyone think he “really” died of a heroin overdose and they just called it cancer?

Ohhhh, how I LOVED the Midnight Special! I LOVED seeing the bands perform on there. If the Bee Gees or Andy Gibb or Peter Frampton or, heaven forbid, The Jackson 5 were on there? My mom would come and wake me up so I could watch them!
Remember Solid Gold? Talk about cheesy!! : )
1978 was 7th grade for me. And, most important of all? The year I saw the BEE GEES in concert ANNNND Andy Gibb showed up at the end. It was awesome!

What IS with the Ambrosia dud on the right canoodling with the dud in the middle? Must have been a really tight group… I guess it was cheap for them to be out on the road, the three of them sharing the same bed and all.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

What IS with the Ambrosia dud on the right canoodling with the dud in the middle? Must have been a really tight group… I guess it was cheap for them to be out on the road, the three of them sharing the same bed and all.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

What IS with the Ambrosia dud on the right canoodling with the dud in the middle? Must have been a really tight group… I guess it was cheap for them to be out on the road, the three of them sharing the same bed and all.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

1978 I was a junior in high school. I remember the Midnight Special, it was on Friday nights. I was usually out smoking weed in my bell bottoms with my feathered hair on Friday nights. I was more of a Saturday Night Live girl back then. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of those old Midnight Specials now, how do I find them?

Ric Ocasek TOTALLY out-kicked his coverage…
Just goes to show ya…stick a guitar in front of ANYONE and the chicks go nuts. Guitars are to women like breasts are to men…
Paulina always reminded me of that cartoon chick who was the evil spy in the Bowinkle/Rocky cartoons. Natasha, I think…
How come when musicians get their pictures taken they are NEVER smiling?
From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8656
“In the late ’70s and early ’80s, there was a strong market for syrupy ballads. What better way is there then with a song where the singer is practically telling his love that he is incomplete without her and doing whatever he can to make her happy while losing his spine in the process?”
“Make a list, baby, of the things I’ll do for you…”

Let’s see 1978, that would be 6th grade. Mrs Borkenhagen with her must have perfect penmanship-ness. Other than that, I don’t remember much. I was such a nerd/bookworm. I never really was into music. I like listening, but never who it is I’m listening to. Or whether they’re dead.

The Cars were “IT” in the late 70s early 80s. My friends and I would always take my car because I had a built in 8 track player.
Do you remember you’d be singing along to your favorite song then silence. The track would have to change and resume on the next one? Then you’d pick up singing where you left off. Technology. Gotta love it.

Also…the other guy from The Cars WAS way cute!! Cancer, huh? Bummer. He was a hottie. I’m thinking I never noticed him before because whenever I say a Cars video I couldn’t take my eyes off of Ric Ocasek…he was/is REALLY a homely guy. Amazingly homely. And yet, HE’S the one who got Paulina. Huh.

The Wolfman definitely had a face made for radio, as the Goddess is wont to say. Ditto Ric O and the Dud from Ambrosia. Nothing better than forgetting the unremarkable and equally unmemorable hair bands of the 70s and 80s.

I remember 1978. That would be the year I graduated. From high school. Yes, I’m old, but not as old at Wolfman Jack. And not as dead either, apparently.
And I remember The Midnight Special, thanks, now I have the crazy theme song in my head.

A sickle!!
Isn’t ambrosia that goop with the marshmallows? Blech.
My husband saw Ric Ocasek in Home Depot one time. Funny because Ole Ric doesn’t look like a Handy Andy to me.
Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem should be marooned on an island somewhere until they look like fast food to each other.

A sickle!!
Isn’t ambrosia that goop with the marshmallows? Blech.
My husband saw Ric Ocasek in Home Depot one time. Funny because Ole Ric doesn’t look like a Handy Andy to me.
Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem should be marooned on an island somewhere until they look like fast food to each other.

A sickle!!
Isn’t ambrosia that goop with the marshmallows? Blech.
My husband saw Ric Ocasek in Home Depot one time. Funny because Ole Ric doesn’t look like a Handy Andy to me.
Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem should be marooned on an island somewhere until they look like fast food to each other.

I have always been fascinated by the Ric and Paulina thing too – because they seem like such opposites. Beauty-wise anyway! And they have been married forever. Just goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover!
And your hair does NOT look like that DUD from Ambrosia. You have a much more attractive color (which makes your beautiful blue eyes POP!) And why did they ever pick the name Ambrosia? What a stupid name!

I have always been fascinated by the Ric and Paulina thing too – because they seem like such opposites. Beauty-wise anyway! And they have been married forever. Just goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover!
And your hair does NOT look like that DUD from Ambrosia. You have a much more attractive color (which makes your beautiful blue eyes POP!) And why did they ever pick the name Ambrosia? What a stupid name!

I have always been fascinated by the Ric and Paulina thing too – because they seem like such opposites. Beauty-wise anyway! And they have been married forever. Just goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover!
And your hair does NOT look like that DUD from Ambrosia. You have a much more attractive color (which makes your beautiful blue eyes POP!) And why did they ever pick the name Ambrosia? What a stupid name!